SKATE NIGHT: Brenton Skating Plaza Opening

SKATE NIGHT: Brenton Skating Plaza Opening

Thursday night you can strap on your skates for the first time this season at Brenton Skating Plaza in downtown Des Moines.

It’s opening night for the outdoor rink.

Work on getting the ice ready has been weeks in the making. Mechanics came in two weeks ago to start checking out equipment and early this week, two compressors were flipped on to cool the cement floor to get it ready for the water.

Crews started adding a layer of water Tuesday. Once it froze the ice was painted white to make it look brighter and help reflect the sun.

Crews will make sure the ice stays about one inch thick.

“Sun and rain are not our friends always,” says Robbin McClelland of the Downtown Community Alliance.

She says opening night also kicks off their weekend food drive. They’d like skaters to bring a non-perishable food item to donate. In return, you get a free pass to come back as well as an ice scraper.